Where to Eat in October: MariPili Tapas Bar, The Cottage, and More

MariPili had big shoes to fill when it took over the former Café Presse space (a moment of silence, please, for Seattle’s best croque madame). The Galician tapas bar has done just that, creating an instant neighborhood go-to that’s as tasty as it is convivial. Go with friends to take full advantage of the parade of small plates served family-style. From mushroom croquetas and pan con tomate to baked scallops with candied pork jowl, diners are rewarded with bite-size punches of flavor. The wine list shines with Spanish varietals and a fair number of sherries. Don’t miss the bread cake with black caramel ice cream and tomato caramel for dessert.

After a long COVID hiatus, owners Sam and Heather Allard have re-opened Backyard to the glee of Columbia City’s sports-loving and LGBTQ+ neighbors. Right around the corner — in the back, in the alley — from its always-buzzing sibling Rookies, Backyard serves up some of the tastiest (and most affordable) small plates in Columbia City. Think deviled eggs with bourbon pork belly, beer-battered cheese curds with a kicky poblano jelly, and dry-rubbed smokehouse wings. Oh, and then there’s the straight-up delicious B.Y. Burger, a quarter-pound beef patty with American cheese and pink sauce on a brioche bun — a deal for $7. Of course, there are lots of local beers on tap, but cocktails are also legit.

Call ​206-466-1475 for reservations. Find more info here.

This former travel agency turned cozy Champagne tavern joins the crop of new restaurants on Beacon Hill. Nearly a dozen glass pours grace the Bubble Board. Plates packed with fat and salt — think housemade duxelles bao, clam dip and chips, and mackerel rillette with shaved fennel — pair nicely with yeasty, bready sips. So settle in for brunch or date night. Or grab an ice bag and bottle to go (prices are 25% off the in-house menu). Save room for a cava float with housemade peach sorbet for a refreshing finish. Oh, and if you’re not a fan of Champagne, there’s an abundance of still wines and fancy cocktails to be had.

Find more info here.

You can’t talk about Ethiopean food without first starting with injera. At Delish, the light, spongy bread is served with almost every meal and doubles as a dining utensil. It’s tangy, a bit sour, and perfect for scooping up everything on the vegetarian combination (which is vegan, by the way). For something with more kick, try the kitfo, minced rare ground beef mixed with butter and spices. This modest-appearing restaurant in Hillman City has forged a reputation for serving up some of the finest Ethiopian fare in Seattle. So if you go just once, you’ll likely become a repeat customer.

Chef Wes Yoo serves up fantastic Korean comfort fare in the former The Gerald spot. From steak ssam (ssam, literally translated, means “wrap”), a kalbi-marinated wagyu Zabuton served with rotating banchan and lettuces, to rice cake and sausage skewers, every dish shares the widely held Korean belief that when you eat well, you are well. The cocktail list rotates seasonally, prominently featuring Korean alcohols such as soju and makgeolli. The Daldal, made with makgeolli, yogurt, chestnut orgeat, cinnamon syrup, honey, blueberries, and pine nuts, is particularly inventive.

Cancel your afternoon meetings and head to The Cottage for a legit burger-and-martini lunch. The steakhouse burger at The Cottage is not a modest beast. The seven-ounce Snake River Farms wagyu beef patty is bathed in housemade steak sauce and topped with crispy onions and a slab of heirloom tomato. Creamy Gorgonzola improves the usual standard-issue blue cheese. For dinner, the strawberry and brie flatbread with cracked pepper is a great place to start before moving on to Thai chile-seared ahi tuna.

After a gorgeous remodel, this University Village hot spot serves sustainable seafood, ultra-fresh nigiri, and sushi rolls. Sure, Bamboo Sushi offers plenty of familiar raw fish fare. But it’s its signature rolls like the Hoki Poki Box, pressed sushi rice, sesame crab, tuna, avocado, topped with green onion, poke sauce, and togarashi, and the green machine, a vegan roll with tempura fried green beans, green onions, avocado, cilantro, and sweet chili oil, that sets this menu apart. Dive into a diverse selection of sakes or cocktails you won’t see elsewhere. The Day Tripper is a simple refresher crafted with raspberry vodka, mint, lime, and soda.

As the days get shorter and darker, The Butcher’s Table menu will warm up even the coldest of nights. The crudo tasting is a unique spin on the usual seafood tower — piled with spot prawn ceviche, yellowtail, salmon tartare, local oysters, Dungeness crab salad, and an albacore tuna tostada. From a beautifully marbled coulotte to a rib-eye cap, the glorious outer rim of a prime rib roast, carnivores can choose from more than a half-dozen different eight-ounce cuts. Can’t decide? Order a tasting flight. Tasty sides stand up to the tender hunks of meat. The beef fat fries and chimichurri green beans are both knockouts.

You don’t have to attend a Seahawks, Sounders, or Mariners game to appreciate the sports memorabilia at Hatback Bar & Grille. Located in the former Pyramid Brewery, right across the street from T-Mobile Park, the spacious restaurant is primed for a pre-or post-game bite or a place to sidle up at the bar to watch your team on one of 20 TVs. Dishes like smoked rockfish dip with red pepper jam, grilled street corn with queso fresco, and sockeye salmon with miso-bourbon glaze are a welcomed stray from usual bar food suspects. However, the menu packs plenty of those staples, too. Seattle’s first black-owned brewery, Métier Brewing Company, is the resident brewpub within the restaurant at Steelheads Alley, named after the 1946 Seattle Steelheads Negro League baseball team.

Find more info here.

With vivid colors of sour gum, buckeye, witch hazel, and more peaking at Washington Park Arboretum, dinner at nearby Nishino is the perfect way to finish a fall day at the botanical gardens. Sure, there are plenty of sushi and sashimi options. And after two decades, the omakase is still the benchmark for outstanding nigiri. Don’t overlook chef Tatsu Nishino’s signature dishes: foie gras atop seared tuna, curried seared halibut cheek, and a flame-broiled whole squid on mixed greens.